So very sad...RIP Captain Thomas Sullivan, wife, Donna, and daughters, Meaghan, and Mairead. Prayers of strength to his surviving son and family, and the Carmel and Larchmont communities. View Comment

I remember when the Purdy's Homestead was "The Old Gilford Forge". I also remember sitting on the rock wall in front (age 3), watching my older sister and brother marching with the Girl and Boy Scouts in a parade (4th? or Memorial Day 1961/62?). I think there was another business there after the Forge and before the Box Tree. View Comment

kpacchiana@TheDailyNorthSalem.com Just saw this...sorry I didn't contact you earlier! I'll contact you shortly. View Comment

Let us also remember to say farewell to Walter Holubis and Peter Krinitsky, who passed this year as well. May they rest in peace. I remember Doug Barrett well, he sold insurance for State Farm to our family and our family business (June Farm Nursery) for many years. A very nice man with a gentle voice, kind eyes, and a quick smile. I also remember Jeanette McNamara. I left North Salem at age 19, but remember that she was an interesting and busy lady. View Comment

Holy Smokes! Is this article "saying" that to clean up the 0.575 acres (a little over half and acre) it cost $990,000.000? That's one expensive half-acre! I'm puzzled over the fact that for that amount of money spent on site clean-up, contaminated soil was covered up was covered up, and with only two feet of clean soil. What measures are being taken to monitor surrounding water-shed area's and wells in the vicinity? I would think that if the soil was that saturated with volatiles, long-term monitoring would be required. View Comment

Re: Becca Tucker's article, "An Antidote to Black Friday". Great article! Growing up in North Salem in the 60's and 70's, with five siblings in a neighborhood of growing families (Deveau Road), all the clothing was handed down, over, under and above! We gleefully spent hours rummaging through boxes and paper grocery bags filled of clothes and shoes which the neighborhood families had outgrown, these items had been handed-down through all the children and cousins before being distributed throughout the neighborhood. Sometimes you got lucky, if the oldest were girls and only boys followed in the family line. You were sure to get the latest fashions and styles and they'd be in good condition. I remember my first "grown-up" experience when rummaging through a box of clothing from the neighbor's who had twin-girls...I hit the jack-pot, X -2! I found white "Go-Go" boots (zippers up the back), penny loafers, groovy-white fish-net stockings, and my first garter belt (old enough to wear stockings!). We also BORROWED clothing-shoes etc...for special events. Our mother's going through great lengths to make sure they were returned in better condition then we received them. Both Easter and prom dresses would float back and forth for years, as would boys suits and jackets. We always had a box of clothes to give away to someone in the neighborhood. The only real clothing purchases I remember my parents making was their own clothes, shopping at S&H Greenstamps for towels and sheets, and our yearly trip East on Route #6 in the Plymouth station wagon to the "Little Red School-House" in Connecticut for shoes. Out of financial necessity, we spent hours at Brewster 5 & !0, Bradley's, Caldor's, or Ben-Franklin's, looking at clothing patterns and cotton fabrics. We would make the clothing we wanted to wear as teenagers if they weren't handed down. We had learned our sewing skills from our mothers (who would "take in an inch in the back" of all those hand-me-downs), or from our "Domestic Science" classes at North Salem High School in 9th (cooking) and 10th grade (sewing), better known to all born before 1965 as Home-Ec. (Economics). I continue this practice today, I shop at "Sally's" (Salvation Army), Goodwill and local church thrift shops, not only for clothing, most of my furniture has come second-hand too...as all Antiques do! View Comment

I knew Karen MacInnes and her mom. I would often visit with her at her home. I remember when "Friends of Karen" started, and am astounded to see how this organization has grown to help so many families with the challenges of childhood illness. I know Karen would be so happy to know how many lives have been helped. View Comment

Congratulations to Mrs. VanScoy! As a former neighbor (1957-1980), she was always helpful. When I'd miss the school bus, she would pick me up on her way to her job as secretary at NSHS. She would always keep an eye out on the neighborhood kids and keeping us out of trouble! View Comment

I've seen Titicus lower than this before. I remember once in the early 70's it was so low (drought?) that you could see the old roads and stonewalls of early North Salem. The house that use to be on 124 (which was burned down several years ago...a shame) between the Antique shop and June Farm was moved from the reservoir to this land. When I was young, living at June Farm, Grandma VanScoy lived in this house. It had been added on to and enlarged, but the front of the house was a very 1 1/2 story half cape. There was evidence that the house had once had a huge chimney. Over time, my parents (Donald and Eleanor McNair) bought this house from Grandma VanScoy. I use to walk to her house and bring her a monthly check. Her house was simple, decorated with Victorian furnishings. On her couch in the living room, she had several Balsam pillows which I loved to smell. She was a delightfully sweet old lady. After she passed away, Lester and Helen Tompkins and family moved into the house and lived there for many years. After they moved out, my parents made a few renovations and rented it out to employees who worked at the nursery. The house was heated with a huge wood furnace which had been converted from fuel Oil (it may have been both). A misguided fuel delivery employee went to the wrong house for delivery, and pumped 1000 gallons of fuel into the house which had no tank. The fuel spilled into the basement and out the old French drains, out the back of the house and into the spring-fed dug well. No one could live in the house without water. The fuel company did not clean up the mess it made, though I do remember something happening to clean it up, but don't remember who did it, or what was done. My parents sold June Farm in the early 1980's, the VanScoy property was part of the property sold. A few years later, the house burned down. I don't know if it was a controlled burn (fire dept) or if someone burned it down. There were several house (and cemeteries) which were moved to make way for the reservoir. It would be interesting to know which houses were moved and how many are still standing today. View Comment

I'm sad to hear of Walter's death. He worked for my Dad at June Farm Nursery during the 70's. I have great memories of him and send my heartfelt condolences to Chris, his children, and his brothers Jim and Billy. View Comment

I remember Susan Haas! My, it's been at least 40 years! I also remember the penny candy store. They sold Antiques there too I think. I grew up at June Farm, and we use to ride our bikes to Balanced Rock, the Annex, and Post Office which was just below Baxter Road. The post office building was a small building which was divided in two. To the left was the Post Office, to the right, a small store, which we would buy a bottled Coke out of the refrigerated Coke cooler which had a sliding top. I think they sold bait in the same cooler. This is the store where I had my first Ring-Ding! The postmaster...a man who's name may have been Mr. Lucas?, was a tall, thin man with a comb-over, and missing the tip of one finger. The post office was the only destination to ride bikes to, unless we had the motivation to go all the way up hill to Kingsley's ESSO station. I also remember when the Hunt went by early morning on June Road. They would meet at Battery Farm across the street, when the Raymond family live there, and somewhere up the hill near Lobdell's farm they would cross the fields to Baxter Road. All those hound dogs barking like mad. It was a sight to see. I remember Mrs. W.R. Hearst stopping at June Farm after a hunt on her beautiful horse in her full riding habit. I think she rode side-saddle. I can't remember why she stopped in, but she rode her horse at a gallop across the front lawn, towards Battery Farm, and my dad was a bit upset with clumps of grass everywhere. View Comment